Her Knight in Phoenix Armor
by Effervescent Dreamer
Summary: Madison twists the story of her, Nick and the other Power Rangers into a bedtime story for her cousins.


**Her Knight in Phoenix Form**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Power Rangers or this specific season Mystic Force.

First time I've ever written a Power Rangers story. Mystic Force is my favorite season with NickxMadison as my favorite couple. When it comes to Chip, Vida and Xander however, it's kinda hard to pick. Either pairing works, but I can't stand love triangles. This story is per request of my little cousin. I hope I do a decent job. Criticism is appreciated; flames will only go to Fireheart or the Mystic Phoenix. This also takes place after Mystic Fate.

* * *

Eighteen-year-old Madison Rocca stood at the sink of her Aunt Veronica's kitchen humming softly as she washed the dishes. While her aunt was busy managing her nightclub, Maddie and her twin sister Vida had volunteered to babysit Veronica's two children, José and Anna. As Madison took over dishwashing, Vida took their cousins to their room in order to help ready them for bed. As Maddie drizzled some liquid soap on her final dish, two small tornadoes in the form of José and Anna, scurried into the room.

"Aunt Maddie! Aunt Maddie!" Anna exclaimed. "Do the trick! Do the trick!"

José nodded his head vigorously, giving him the effect of a bobble-head doll. "Please do the trick Aunt Maddie!" He implored. Madison smiled. Although she was biologically their cousin, Anna and José preferred to call Madison, "Aunt Maddie". The same went for Vida. The trick the children were pleading for Madison to perform was nothing to lose your head over unless of course you were a child or just a kid a heart who smiled at the simplest of things.

Maddie obliged her two charges by lightly squeezing the bottle of liquid dishwashing soap. The pressure on the plastic from her hand caused twenty to thirty bubbles to escape from the open cap. Her cousins squealed and clapped their hands in delight.

Still smiling, Maddie quickly rinsed off the last dish. Wiping her hands on the towel hanging off the handle of the oven, she announced, "All right you two, bedtime."

"Aww…." The children pouted. "Must we?"

"Yes," Madison replied. "Everybody needs sleep. Including those people at Mommy's club."

"Do superheroes sleep?" José asked. She nodded.

"José, Aunt Maddie is a _Power Ranger_," Anna informed him in her best "duh" voice. "Yes, she needs sleep!" Madison smiled at the little girl. She reminded Madison of her own sister. The resemblance in their attitude was strong.

"As right as you are Anna," Vida began as she leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. "Mommy said bedtime is at eight-thirty." She pointed to the art deco clock hanging above the kitchen door. "It _is_ eight-thirty. Bed. Let's go."

"I wanna be tucked in the special way!" Anna cried as she jumped up and down, black pigtails swishing with her movement.

"Me too, me too!" José exclaimed.

Grinning, Vida scooped Anna into her arms and began twirling the little girl toward the room she shared with her brother. Once in the purple room, Vida lifted Anna and spun her around twice before gently plopping her onto the mattress.

"It's just like being you, Aunt Vida!" Anna declared as she recalled the pink witch's special gift.

* * *

Madison had a different way of putting the little boy to bed. She lifted José and placed him on her shoulders. "Ready?" She asked.

"Ready Aunt Maddie!" He cried.

Maddie couldn't stop the enormous smile that came across her face as she began running wildly toward Anna and José's room. "Earthquake!" She shouted, stomping her feet, her younger cousin's incessantly giggles barely heard over her noisiness.

"Oh no!" Vida exclaimed, pretending to be a helpless damsel-in-distress, the polar opposite of her courageous nature.

José laughed as he fell onto his bed with a soft "thump". "Tidal wave!" Maddie declared as she threw the little boy's navy blanket over him. She made sounds of the ocean to accompany her actions. More giggling gently shook the mattress as José's head popped up from underneath the blanket.

Madison grasped a soft red blanket. Just before she tossed it onto Anna, the word "lava" caught in her throat. As waves of emotion washed over her, Maddie's knees buckled and she collapsed onto José's bed. She became immersed in memories as her russet eyes gazed at the blanket in her hands. The blanket reminded her so much of Nick's blanket. The one he had when he was a baby, and he one he entrusted her to keep safe while he was away visiting his adopted parents. The blanket she now held was much larger yet it was the same shade of bright red and had yellow stitching on its border. While holding it did bring _some_ comfort, the blanket still didn't eradicate the dull ache she felt in her heart.

She barely heard the voices that brought her out of her reverie.

"Aunt Maddie?" Asked Anna softly.

"Maddie?" Vida asked, frowning in concern. "Are you okay?"

Madison looked up, a soft smile on her face. "I'm fine, I'm just…" She cast around for an excuse, not wanting to tell her cousins about her feelings for the Light. "Just remembering a story _my _Mom, your Aunt Carmen used to tell Vida and I at night." Vida raised an eyebrow at her twin's statement, but made no objection.

"What kind of story?" José asked eager to know the answer.

Madison turned her smile toward José. "Well, I'm entirely too sure that _you'll _like it," she began, gently poking his belly. "Because this story is pretty much a fairy-tale."

"Ooh, yay!" Anna exclaimed.

"Is there any kissing?" José asked while wrinkling his nose in distaste.

Maddie shook her head. "No, no kissing."

"Aww…." Vida teased.

Madison rolled her eyes. "May I start the story?" She asked, arching her eyebrow toward her sister.

"Yes!" José and Anna shouted.

"I'm interested," Vida said. "It's been quite a while since I've heard this story." She folded her arms and leaned her back against the wall on Anna's side of the room. "Maybe you can jog my memory Sis."

"Perhaps I can," Maddie replied. She cleared her throat then dove into the story. "Once, there were five friends. They were sorcerers and sorceresses, three guys, two girls. Each held a special sort of elemental power. The most powerful of the magical friends was named Bowen; he held the power of fire and was known as the Mystic Phoenix. Trueno possessed the power of lightning and was called the Mystic Garuda. The last of the teenaged sorcerers was named Aarde and he held the power of the earth. Aarde was also like a second leader and known as the Mystic Minotaur. The sorceresses were sisters. The elder one was Vienta and could control the wind, she was known as the Mystic Sprite. Her sister was named Mariana and possessed the power of all things liquid. Mariana was also known as the Mystic Mermaid. Together these five were known as the—"

"Aunt Maddie?" Anna interrupted quietly.

"Yes Sweetie?"

"Does my blanket remind you of Bowen?" Madison nodded. "Oh. What happened? Is he okay?" Anna's dark eyes were filled with curiosity.

Madison smiled. "Bowen is alright as far as this story goes. He along with his friends were known as the Mystic Force brought together to stop the forces of evil from taking over the world. Bowen was a great leader. But like all leaders, he too had his faults. I'm not saying that he was scared all of the time, in fact he was very brave. It was just that he…Bowen was…" She trailed off, pursing her lips as she thought of the appropriate words. "Bowen could be very insecure at times and easily filled with doubt. He doubted himself, his friends. He even doubted that there was a speck of good magic left in the world when all seemed hopeless and it appeared that evil would win."

"No!" Anna cried.

"Never!" José declared while shaking his head vehemently.

Maddie grinned, "I never said that evil _did _win. Now may I please continue the story?" The two nodded. "Thank-you. As I was saying, there were times when Bowen didn't believe in himself and this frustrated the other magicians leading to a few rifts between the friends on occasion. But one always had faith in Bowen and made sure he knew of it. That one was Mariana. Mariana would have a tendency to hunt the Mystic Phoenix down whenever he was upset and do everything in his power to make him smile that charismatic grin again." Maddie's smile widened as she thought about Nick's smile and enchanting green eyes.

"Bowen also returned Mariana's kindness. Two events were considered to be most special to the Mystic Mermaid for they were two promises Bowen had made. One was when Vienta had been cast under the evil enchantment of a vampire queen. Bowen had sworn to the distressed Mariana that they'd find Vienta and bring her home safely, free of any dark influences. Another promise was made shortly after the Mystic Force had defeated the evil that threatened their world. Bowen was ready to travel the kingdoms beyond his own in search of the family who raised him when Mariana wondered if she'd ever see that fiery spirit again. It was then that Bowen handed her a blanket very much similar to the one I hold in my hands now. The blanket that Mariana accepted and vowed to keep safe was Bowen's silent promise that he'd return to her one day."

"You know," Vida began. "I'm beginning to remember this story. And I think I remember something you don't Maddie. Bowen had made a third promise to Mariana. Technically his first promise to her, but hey chronologic stuff doesn't necessarily matter."

Maddie tilted her head in confusion. _Third_ promise? What promise had Nick made that she didn't remember?

Vida grinned. There was a reason why Madison had no recollection of this vow. "You see," Vida began, addressing both the children and her sister. "Mariana and Bowen had a small fight because Bowen wouldn't stop teasing Mariana about her shyness. He would always call her a closed up flower that was too scared to bloom or a pearl that wanted to stay forever hidden in its oyster. Annoyed with him, the young sorceress stormed through the woods trying to cool down. Shortly after she had walked off, Mariana had been attacked by a spell-casting monster and turned to stone. Bowen had become most upset when he and the other magicians found the Mystic Mermaid as a statue. It probably didn't help when Vienta chatisised Bowen for incessantly teasing her sister. It only added to the guilt. Bowen had walked up to the large statue that was supposedly his best friend and stared into her vacant eyes and he said solemnly, 'I'm going to get you out of this Mariana. I promise.' He would do anything he possibly could to restore the color to her cheeks and the sparkle to her lively brown eyes. Anything to rectify their wounded friendship. And so he did. Mariana, being the generous and ever forgiving sorceress that she was, accepted Bowen's apology for she knew that their friendship was healed."

Madison smiled as she tried to hide her blush. _"Oh,"_ she thought. _"So that was the other_ _promise. I hope I didn't make Nick feel_ too _bad."_

"So is Bowen like Mariana's knight in shining armor?" Anna asked.

"I don't think so," Vida replied. "He's more like her knight in phoenix form…er, armor."

"Does Bowen come back for Mariana, Aunt Maddie?" José asked.

Maddie clutched the blanket as she struggled to maintain her smile and quell her tears. In a somewhat shaky voice she answered with what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug, "There's only one way to find out."

* * *

Whoo-hoo! I'm done with my first Power Rangers story! I hope I get some feedback from the writers of this "universe". I have an idea for a sequal...but only if you guys want it! Oh and if it helps...MarianaMadison, VientaVida, AardeXander, BowenNick (duh) and TruenoChip. Please review!


End file.
